Dario Costa

Dario Costa (born 9 May 1980, Manchester, United Kingdom) born to an Iranian mother and an Italian father, is an Italian professional Red Bull Air Race competitor, stunt pilot, aerobatic performer, flight instructor, Pilatus PC6 Porter paradropping pilot and author from Bologna, Italy and is the first ever Italian to qualify, to compete and to win in the Red Bull Air. Dario lives in Salzburg, Austria and is also known for various world-first flying stunts and world records including the first and only ever flight through a tunnel with an airplane.

Dario spent his early childhood traveling across North Africa building up his passion for flying, then, at the age of six, moved to Bologna, where he started to learn piloting while at high school where after formal flight training, he did his first solo flight at the age of 16 in 1996. Earned his living initially as gardener, swimming pool cleaner, postman and later on as theoretical instructor at his flying club and former high school enabling him few years later, after winning Aeroclub Bologna’s first ever scholarship, to obtain his commercial pilot, flight instructor and aerobatic flight-instructor qualifications.
Teaching and competing in aerobatics, Dario evolved with the sport and in 2011, while still teaching full-time, was contest director of the 2011 FAI World Aerobatic Championships and became Chief Flight and Ground Instructor at the Aeroclub Milano.
In October 2013, Costa joined the Red Bull Air Race World Championship as flight operations manager, development and ferry pilot.
In 2016, Costa became the first Italian to ever qualify as Red Bull Air Race World Championship race pilot and after that has been pushing boundaries of aviation setting multiple world’s first and records from flying formation aerobatics with an helicopter flown by Mirko Flaim to flying in between fast moving America’s Cup boats and more.